Follow the author of this article

Expert guide to Rio de Janeiro

The traditional Rio bar scene is alive and well, where small establishments remain the pretension-free places to be, serving up ice-cold chopp (draught beer) by the tray-load, accompanied by some of the best bar snacks going. Tap rooms are trendy, the variety of beer now matching that of the indulgent snacks, while a cocktail explosion has seen mixologists curate elaborate drinks menus and local distilleries craft small-batch gins, unashamedly taking the best of London, New York or Paris then pouring it through an unmistakably Brazilian filter. And, of course, there's always the caipirinha.